András Hábetler

In the bloody shadow of the French Revolution's reign of terror, a poet and a revolutionary vie for the affections of a noblewoman. Can the guillotine be stopped as their friendship turns to rivalry? In Andrea Chénier, the poet’s fate transcends actual events, telling the story of a tragic love triangle in which the lives of the protagonists are subject to the forces of history, betrayal and amorous passion. Along the way, Umberto Giordano's music, full of elegant aristocratic dances and popular revolutionary songs, perfectly captures the atmosphere of Paris before and during the French Revolution. Winner of the 2016 International Opera Award for Young Director, Fabio Ceresa returns to the Erkel Theatre for this impressive period production.

The wealthy Argan ‘enjoys’ poor health. Even though his daughter is in love with another man, he wants to marry her off to a medical dunce who can secure a lifetime of medical care for his father-in-law. A fake death scene finally teaches Argan where to put his trust. Following the success of his previous works, this is the fourth opera by János Vajda to be staged at the Hungarian State Opera. Based on both Moliere's Le malade imaginaire and Mikhail Bulgakov's play about the French playwright, Vajda's new opera incorporates Moliere's life story, giving bass-baritone András Hábetler the rare opportunity to play the dual roles of Argan and Moliere.